I wished you earlier but,
Happy Birthday, Jingy!
Hope you have a great day :D

If you're ever going to the movies,
please check for discounts especially if you're a
SAFRA Card holder. If not, you can ask from me and
I can lend you my card to get discounts from GV. (:

I spent my day with Jun Xiang on Friday watching
Final Destination (I keep saying Final Fantasy!) and
the show sadly was quite predicitable. I didn't really
follow-up the previous ones but I thought, why not.
$13 for 3D Movie without discount man. Anyway, went
inside Uniqlo which I wanted tried on this denim and it felt
so great. It's so comfy and.. also made me feel too.. sexy. LOL.
Was the same day I saw Jolene and Nick in the bus on our way home.

Meeting some of my friends later today to go back to sss. :D

I guess here's my last entry of the week, but firstly,
Happy Birthday, Matthew,
Happy Belated Birthday, Mom!
Thank you for always being my listening ear and
being a strong mother for another no matter what happens.
Hope you had a great day!

A day after I wrote down my feelings about life, one of
my uncles passed away in the arms of Serangoon Por Por (Mom's side) and we all
were invovled in a way or another for his wake and funeral during these past few days.
To my uncle Fat Fat, I will always remember your stories, laughter and presence. You've
brought us memories of happiness and we will contiune to remember them.
With love, Derek.

What I learned about this unfortunate event, but was never the cause of it,
is that we must never take the people closest around us for granted - no
matter how irritating the person may be, no matter what they did before,
no matter what he does to you - for you may never ever  have the chance
to forgive him or her again. If there is no one invovled, then don't be
angry over the littlest things because life is way too short.

We went for dinner at Marina Barrage with Haig Road Por Por (Papa's side) and
Gong Gong who was on wheelchair just now, together with uncle Jeffrey and
Yatavee for mom's birthday dinner. There was a positive atmosphere there.

I hope Serangoon Por Por, my mom and my other relatives - especially
Sally yiyi, uncle Peter and uncle Andrew's family will soon get over. With that,
starting tomorrow, I will continue from the pile; full of work
undone all through the week.

I have to make this entry quick otherwise it will be logged under 14th August!
Anyway, today I tried to buy food from the minimart opposite my house cos
yesterday when I bought the fan choy, I couldn't resist that I just wanted
to eat right there and then and I did so I just sat at the chess table
and mmm I really love it! (Phoebe, tml if your stomach ok you try ya :)
Do I sound like a food critic (except for seafood)? Cannot help la, I love food.
I sense I'm going to get fat one day, really.

Was listening to Destiny's Child and some other old CDs while doing homework
and I was thinking "Isn't it nice to be born in the 90s (But would have been better
to be born way much earlier)? All the best songs were in our time with songs from
Destiny's Child, Boyzone, Westlife, Aqua, Michael Jackson (rest in peace). The best
Disney movies were also made for us. I really love Disney songs like 'Colours of the Wind',
'Journey to the Past', 'A Whole New World' and argh so many more! Now the songs
are good but just can't be compared to the past. I need a radio though.
Tomorrow dinner at Sakae.. AHH cannot wait!
:D:D:D:D:D:D must smile more :) :) :) :) :) :)

GO IVAN HENG!
Happy 44th Birthday, Singaporee!
*Wonders if she ever reads this space haha*
Experienced one of the greatest NDP shows
I've ever watched :D pretty amazing to hear all
my favourite songs all together for once and I
love Chapter 8 the most, followed by Chapter 5,
and not forgetting the 'What Do You See?' segment!
Anyway, supper and stayover was great :D

 Hope you all won't cringe on this ongoing interview with
Orange Magazine who has been doing this for the past few years!
PS it's fictitious. This website is for me to keep track of my thoughts.

Orange Magazine: It's been awhile since we last interviewed you.
Derek: Yes, it is. The last time I remembered was before my O levels and gee time really flies! Here I am studying in TP [Temasek Poly], pursuing in Year Two - also known as Junior Year.

Orange Magazine: Are you doing what you expect yourself to be doing after the O levels?
Derek: Actually when I was choosing my courses, for some reasons, I blocked out many schools - School of Engineering, Sciences, IT, etc. I wasn't able to apply for most of the business courses because of my shocking English results which is nothing worth talking about. The thought that I had little skills in editing a picture and cropping them led me to the School of Design in TP because firstly, the title sounds interesting [Interactive Media Design] *laughter* and secondly, it seemed fun to be facing the computer all day long.

Orange Magazine: Haha, it sure sounds interesting! I thought you wanted a music course in Poly?
Derek: Yes, I wanted to but I also thought about taking up Psychology Studies or some other humanity-based courses. If I'm not wrong, music courses [in Poly] require you to master at least one instrument which is a disadvantage for me. I would prefer music to design but since now I'm here in design, I feel it is something I'm able to handle just that it takes time to get used to it because I'm not really good at it and also the timetable screws up your social life and the world around you. I think there's a difference between what you like and what you can do. That's when you make the one you can do into something that you like.

Orange Magazine: Haha, very chim. I'm assuming design is something you can do, but not so well at, and music is something that you like?
Derek: Yes! You said it. I prefer performing anytime. Then again, there's a difference between something you indulge in and something you are able to do it.

Orange Magazine: Which subject have you taken or taking now is the most difficult?
Derek: Here in TP Design, we go by block teaching so we don't really know a certain subject at a glance until the start of a new block so that we will be introduced to a subject in depth on the first day. For me the one with the worst nightmare was 3D Art Fundamentals because I wasn't really prepared for the workload and everywhere I went, shoe racks were my nightmare - not now though.

Orange Magazine: We saw a clip of you performing at Far East Plaza earlier this year, how was your experience and tell us more about that belt across your hand.
Derek: I would say it was something different from my previous performances. About the belt, I was inspired to wear it around my hand after returning from China because I saw people actually wearing it at McDonalds and I really liked it. So I ordered a meal which came with a free belt and I removed the tag on the belt right before performance.

Orange Magazine: My favourite song off the set list was "Follow Me/If I Were A Boy (Reply)". Which was your most favourite song to perform?
Derek: Yes, i like that too. The song choices were great and it is really hard to say which song I like the best because each and every one had a different meaning to me, and the people around me, but if I were to choose I would be stuck between How To Save A Life/What Can I Do and Cool/Beyond The Sea. 

Orange Magazine: Will you consider performing again this year?
Derek: Come what may, really. It's almost like a tradition every year I perform. I love entertaining people. Technically, I didn't perform last year because it was pushed to early this year reason being timeslots were full. I can, however, choose a few songs to perform solo if I want to but I have something bigger in mind which I don't think it would be of any time soon.

Orange Magazine: Interesting! Will it be back to dancing?
Derek: It could be but now's still initial stages.

Orange Magazine: That would be great! Just a few other questions... What is that one invention from the past that makes you really appreciate?
Derek: Hmm... I would say the toilet. *laughters* Well I mean it is somewhere we take things for granted and laugh about it but it is a place that we really don't want people to see what we are doing inside and these days the toilets are so clean as compared to the past where others will collect the faeces in pails. It now flushes automatically for goodness sake!

Orange Magazine: *laughters* Which movie do you like the best?
Derek: The first movie that comes into mind is Enchanted because it's so interesting to compare reality and a prince-and-princess world. It makes people wake up more to see how we lived and how things are and have been. I'm not saying we should all start going up to a girl or a boy (if you're a girl for that matter) and claiming them to be your prince or princess, but say some people having to date for 7 years and still have not proposed, I think it's quite sad in a way. Then again, in reality there are so many obstacles we cannot avoid - be it financially, affairs, family restriction, etc. It's just so mad.

Orange Magazine: We heard that you recently went to Indonesia for a good cause?
Derek: Yes, I did. A friend of mine invited me to visit, alongside with some others from church, an orphanage home [Panti Asuhan Betesda] in Indonesia on 17 June and it was quite an eye-opening experience for my friends and I because this was the first time together going out of Singapore. Seeing so many smaller children living in such condition really made me feel as though the majority of us here [in Singapore] are taking things for granted. We were to spend some time with them but certain time clashed and we didn't had the full day there.

Orange Magazine: I would love to go too, did you take any pictures?
Derek: Unfortunately, no I did not take as much pictures as I wanted to because for a few reasons - mainly I was sick at that time and futhurmore, it was their place of living and I just didn't want to treat it as a tourist attraction. It just didn't felt right.

Orange Magazine: What was that one thing you remembered?
Derek: I could remember one of the boys, aged 6, came over and slept on my lap while I sat cross-legged after his performance in front of us. Also when they started praying with their eyes shut so tightly when each of the children received a box of food. These little gestures and signs really, as corny as it may sound, touched my heart. I was really moved.

Orange Magazine: Will you continue to do more charity work?
Derek: Yes I will, in fact I am considering of taking part in a trip to China this October but now is only the initial planning.

Orange Magazine: What do you intent to do after Poly?
Derek: I still have NS so in the meantime after Poly, I am thinking of taking up driving license and a few other courses like vocal lessons or so if possible and work part-time to try and support myself.

Orange Magazine: And after NS?
Derek: I would prefer to think it a step at a time, but from what I see in the people around me, it is quite nice to take a break after Poly (or NS) and get some work experience or so, have a little fun for awhile, before going back to school, which I hope to. I'm, however, still undecided if I should apply for a position in a higher education before NS or after NS.

Orange Magazine: What makes you embarrassed?
Derek: There are a lot! The main one is making a fool out of me when I am unable to react to a certain situation or question and trying to cover back up.Not being able to pass my friends' personalised quiz online ["How Well Do You Know" on Facebook] also makes me a little embarrassed.

Orange Magazine: Which celebrity do you like and why?
Derek: I would say Ellen DeGeneres because she's so comfortable with herself and when she's with others, which is a flaw I find in myself.

- end -

最近可以吧.. 可是还是想想.. 好像我一来到这间学校,
感觉到很多压力. 每次有功课的时候, 我会想到 "如果我们都
是做同样的功课, 也是东西我们放在公事包里, 哪谁是我真真的朋友呢?"
我很想念以前: 当时我们都没有同样的"工作", 每个人都有自己喜欢.
有测验的时候，我们都不会有"我的比你的好". 哎呀.. 说出來,谁明白?
很久没有用华语.. 我还是华人喔！哈哈！